Hi debsullivan33,
When you purchase tires, there are many options available and it's like most other things in life...you generally get what you pay for. The same size tire is usually available from many different manufacturers, with several different speed ratings and many different treadwear warranties. A tire that is rated to last 80,000 miles is obviously going to cost significantly more than the same size tire that is only rated to last 30,000 miles. If the shop that serviced your vehicle was trying to install only one tire, they would generally be trying to match the brand and tire model to the other 3 tires on your car, which limits them as far as offering you choices on mileage ratings and prices. When you are ready for a full set of tires, I would recommend educating yourself on which tires are available in the correct size for your car and what the treadwear warranty and pricing are for each tire. A great resource for tire pricing and any tire related information is www.tirerack.com. With that said, keep in mind that they are an online wholesale business and when buying tires locally, you will usually pay a little higher price for the availability, convenience, and the fact that there is no additional shipping charge. The tires for your car probably range from a low of $70 to a high around $200 with the mileage rating being the biggest difference in cost.
Another factor to keep in mind is that your car is equipped with TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) which needs to be serviced/calibrated with any tire repairs and can sometimes add to the cost of the service. (Note: All cars built after 2008 are required by Federal Law to be equipped with TPMS.)
Our shop is located in Uxbridge, MA just over the border from RI. We charge $80 for a 4 wheel alignment. There are instances when additional time must be billed on alignments if there are rusted or damaged components that cause the alignment to be difficult and take longer then the usual 1 hour that is allotted for basic alignments.
As one final note, if you feel you were "ripped off", I would suggest having a discussion with the shop that performed the repairs and if they are an honest, quality shop, they should be able and willing to explain each of the charges on your invoice and also help educate you on the quality of tire that you purchased. As a shop owner myself, I occasionally run into situations similar to yours where a well-meaning friend causes unnecessary concern over pricing because they simply aren't aware of all of the details and they are comparing apples and oranges, instead of apples to apples. I always welcome the opportunity to help educate our customers on what they are actually paying for and it is usually the start to a long-term mutually beneficial relationship! If you simply have a conversation with the shop, they will most likely be happy to help you understand the repairs and costs and you can hopefully find they are an honest, professional organization that you can continue doing business with in the future...the best cure for feeling "ripped off" is to get educated and find a professional that you are comfortable with and you trust!
Hope that helps!
Jason Malo
jason@theautodoctor.net
Advanced Auto, Inc.
dba Advanced Automotive Performance
616A Douglas St.
Uxbridge, MA 01569
Phone: 508-278-6615
www.theautodoctor.net
